STRIKING!! 5 MANJUSRI TIBETAN BUDDHIST THANGKA TIBET #2

"Preserving the Sacred Arts is always part of the preservation of Dharma"
                   ~ Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche ~

Larger size, stunning thangka with 5 different Manjusri bodhisattva forms in it painted by 6th and 7th generation Tibetan thangka painters!!  Notice the difference in the correct proportions of the figures here and compare to the terrible proportions of the fake "antique Tibetan" thangkas coming out of China!!  There is also a figure of Sakyamuni Buddha at top center.  This one is a little lower priced than the other "5 Manjusri" I have by the same artists (at least it was there when I listed this one) because I bought it 2 years ago when the dollar was a lot stronger against the Nepalese Rupee.   See the information in paragraphs below about the thangka painters and Manjusri. 

larger size!!!  Measuring about 18inches by 25 & 1/4 inches minus the outermost red borders.

I had the privilege of living with a Tibetan family in Kathmandu for almost 3 months in the summer of 2006, and 3 weeks in 2007 that contained a 6th generation and 7th generation thangka painter.  Like every single other thangka done there, whether by students or by the masters - this one was begun by the man I called "Po-po-la" for 3 months, whose real Tibetan name is Thargyal.  Before beginning any thangka, he reads the corresponding scriptures about the deities to be portrayed.  Then he draws the figures in pencil according to strict geometic proportions written many hundreds of years ago.  After that, the painting begins - with colors that have also been described for centuries.  Po-po-la is now 77 years old and escaped from Tibet in 1962, shortly after being released from 3 years imprisonment and torture by the Chinese.  He escaped over the border to Nepal close to Mt. Everest and stayed in the Khumbu region for many years, painting for Rinpoches in the area.  He went back to Tibet when conditions improved in 1980 and got one of his sons, Wangdi, out.  He has painted thangkas for Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Sakya Trizin, and many others.  Several noted Western thangka artists have also studied with him for long periods, notably Andy Weber.

This thangka is not mounted in brocade.  I am now able to provide brocade mountings for my thangkas at very reasonable prices.  The finest quality Varanasi brocade is available.  It may take a while to get the mounting done (hopefully not), but it will be good practice in patience!

FEEDBACK: Please contact me instead of leaving negative feedback. I will always work with the buyer until we resolve an issue or reach a mutually satisfactory agreement. There should never be a reason for negative feedback if we are in good communication and there is no deception or dishonesty in descriptions, representation of items, or payment. I also expect the same honesty and integrity in your dealing with me.  Please ask questions, as many as you like, to be sure the item you are bidding on or purchasing is the right one for you.

I strive to provide the best quality thangkas for the price on eBay.  They are all original paintings done with mineral pigments and pure gold paint on canvas.  You won't find any imitation Chinese thangkas here!   Please compare the detailed photos of my thangkas to other thangkas available on eBay to determine the quality. The photos in each listing are of the very same thangka that I am selling.  Don't bother to compare them to the extremely low quality glut of fake "antique" or "old" "Tibetan" thangkas from China that have flooded the market in the last few years. There IS no comparison with these fakes.  

I want to make clear that in no way, shape or form do I represent myself as an expert on Tibetan iconography or thangka painting.  I am just a beginner in understanding this profound art form.  If there is any kind of problem, let me know.  I will never knowingly misrepresent anything I am selling.  There is always the chance that I may have been fooled myself, but will try to correct the situation if that ever happens.  Please contact me if you think I have been misled.  I also don't try to exaggerate the colors or contrast in my photos to make them more appealing.  I believe in karma and that honesty is always the best policy and will do business by these principles.

A word or two about the terrible thangkas done in sweatshops in China.  If you look at about 90% (or more) of the thangkas for sale on Ebay, they are being sold from China and all look very similar.  By similar, I mean the proportions are all wrong, there is no fine detail work at all and they are mostly iconographically as incorrect as it is possible to be.  A lot of them seem to be of deities that don’t exist!  Ebay doesn’t seem at all interested in shutting down this flood of fakes, because they are making very good money on them.  Not only has China's brutal regime been systematically eliminating Tibet's culture and religion in Tibet, they are ruining the art of thangka painting where it is barely hanging on in exile in Nepal and India and a very few artists in Tibet.

Some people have thought that my thangkas are so detailed that they must be prints.  I do not sell prints of thangkas.  If I do start doing so they will clearly be identified as such!  The best way to determine if it is an original painting is to hold it up to a bright light or the sun.  You will clearly see different thicknesses of paint and some brush strokes. 

Also 1 or 2 people have thought that the paintings are on paper.  They are all on cotton canvas, but they are treated with a layer of gesso (like plaster of paris or gypsum) and rubbed smooth.  Some of them are so smooth you cannot see the individual fibers.  To prove to yourself that the painting is on canvas, try ripping the corner of the border area and you will see threads.